Donald E. Hollenbeck graduated from high school in February 1943 and entered into the army the following month. He was in basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and was then sent overseas to Belgium until his death in December 1944. His unit was stationed in Trois Ponts, Belgium where a bridge leading to another major town was located. The German troops were eager to cross this bridge and take control of both major towns along the route. One of the American guns that was defending the area got stuck along the route and Hollenbeck's unit commander ordered that he and the other three men that were in control of the gun stay behind until the bridge route was completely demolished and cut off from the Germans. Hollenbeck and his compatriots knew that they were on a suicide mission and after fifteen minutes of holding off the German troops, an explosion occurred behind the four-man gun crew destroying the bridge along with the gun. Hollenbeck and the other three men were killed in the explosion that stopped the Germans from pursuing the way forward through Trois Ponts.